The great hero of the Trojan War, Odysseus, begins his journey home to Ithaca, but the wrath of Poseidon makes his suffering on the seas unending. Raging storms thrash his boats, monsters torment him, and seductive women have their way with him. All of his crew die by the time he reaches the island inhabited by Calypso, who puts him under a spell and controls him for seven years. Odysseus’ patron goddess Athena pleads her case before Zeus, and finally the gods convene and order Calypso to free him. Poseidon breaks apart the raft on which he sails, forcing Odysseus to swim for his life to the shores of Phaeacia. Athena now protects him by prompting Princess Nausicaa in a dream to wash her clothes near where Odysseus sleeps. The noise Nausicaa and her handmaidens make playing with a ball awakens Odysseus, and his disheveled look sends all the girls fleeing except the beautiful princess. Odysseus, a stranger to the kingdom, flatters Nausicaa and then asks for assistance. She, being trusting and hospitable, offers him food, clothing, and body oil to rub on himself after his bath. Her handmaidens return, convinced by Nausicaa that Odysseus means them no harm. Nausicaa also invites him to her father’s palace, instructing him beforehand how to approach the queen first to win the king’s support. While Odysseus bathes, Athena makes him more physically appealing and regal looking to impress all who meet him. Since Nausicaa worries about the gossip that might start if villagers see her with a male stranger, Nausicaa gives Odysseus detailed directions, and they enter the palace separately. As Nausicaa expects, her wise father generously grants all of Odysseus’ wishes. King Alcinous readies a ship for him that steers itself and promises Odysseus a fast and safe trip home. The crew delivers him to Ithaca without mishap, but an enraged Poseidon turns their boat into stone on their return to Phaeacia.
Homer warns his readers in Book Six not to be quick in judging someone. The physical appearance of someone should not determine whether that person is worthy of attention or not. Also, strangers should be given a chance to earn trust and acceptance. Nausicaa did not know Odysseus and by not running away from him, she befriends one of the greatest heroes. The hospitality she extends to Odysseus immortalizes her.
Nausicaa leading Odysseus to Phaeacia
One Main Character that Odysseus Meets on his Journey
Nausicaa: Nausicaa was the daughter of the Phaeacian King, Alcinous and Queen Arete. Nausicaa positively impacts Odysseus' journey home. Athena weary of Poseidon's interference, chooses the land of the Phaeacians as Odysseus' last stop, "Straight to his house the clear-eyed Pallas went, full of plans for great Odysseus' journey home. She made her way to the gaily painted room where a young girl lay asleep...(169 lns 15-18). The goddess Athena personally selects Princess Nausicaa to secure the neccesary arrangements and sailing vessel for the last leg of Odysseus' journey. After Odysseus emerges from the thickets,, Nausicaa boldly stands her ground while her handmaidens scurry away. Odysseus, who is salt encrusted, and naked approaches Nausicaa and tells her his story. After hearing his story, Nausicaa confronts her handmaidens, "So, quick, my girls, give our newfound friend some food and drink and bathe the man in the river"(p175 lns 229-231). More pure than any of the Greek gods, Nausicaa greets Odysseus with kindness and hospitality. She feels nothing but compassion for the tired and hungry man and although a princess, she serves Odysseus. With good intentions, she invites him to the palace where he will recieve what he needs, "If only the queen will take you to her heart"(p178 ln343). Ten years after the the end of the Trojan War, Nausicaa's desire to relieve a stranger's suffering finally enables a hero to sail home.
Princess Nausicaa Picture
Nausicaa Confronting Odysseus
Structure
In ancient Greek times, Homer was simply known as the Poet. The Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt collected the great writings of the world and of the literary papyri the pharaohs preserved, Homer’s works outnumber all the other authors combined. His Iliad and Odyssey have been referred to as the Greek’s Bible: they enshrined all wisdom and knowledge and settled questions about moral behavior. The Odyssey is an epic poem of 12,109 lines about its epic hero, Odysseus, whose journey home to Ithaca takes him on a ten-year adventure. He dreams of home sweet home, but arrives to face perils that match the war plains of Troy and the stormy seas of Poseidon. Homer wrote the Odyssey in hexameter verse: long and short syllables, and concepts alternate in a symmetric pattern of ABC . . . CBA. Homer varies this ring structure to emphasize his ideas and increase his readers’ memory of the plot.
As a master storyteller, Homer liberally uses figurative language to stimulate strong images. In Book 6, he uses a simile that radiantly describes what Odysseus looked like and felt at the moment he caught sight of Nausicaa: “And out he stalked as a mountain lion exultant in his power strides through wind and rain and his eyes blaze and he charges sheep or oxen or chases wild deer but his hunger drives him on to go for flocks” (172). Odysseus could not mask his hunger; he ravenously looks at Nausicaa as prey and does not meekly approach her. No wonder Nausicaa’s handmaidens all scatter. In a scene where Nausicaa explains the importance of arriving at her father’s palace separately to stop the spread of malicious rumors, Homer uses a metaphor to describe the fisherman of Phaecia: “Some old salt might mock us behind our backs” (177). The image of dried and hardened men, encrusted with crystals from their long stretches of toil in the ocean, forms. These are tough men, insensitive and crude, just waiting for a tale to pass on. Additionally Homer constantly reminds the reader with repetition to weave the parts together throughout the entire poem and keep them focused on his hero. Odysseus, when awakened by the play of Nausicaa, mutters about his voyage, “Man of misery, whose land have I lit on now? What are they here - - - violent, savage, lawless? Or friendly to strangers, god-fearing men? Listen: shouting, echoing round me - - - women, girls - - - or the nymphs who haunt the rugged mountaintops and the river springs and meadows lush with grass” (172)! Through his long narrative poem, Homer reminds his readers what Odysseus has experienced in the past to deepen their understanding of the story and develop more fully his hero’s character. Again in Book 7, Oedipus will retell his tales of woe and his desire to go home, which builds up compassion for him. A story as long as the Odyssey needs events repeated to keep the suspense up of what is going to happen next.
Geography
Scholars currently disagree where Phaeacia or Scheria exists. Some people think that Phaeacia is either Crete, Corfu, or somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Homer describes the land of Phaeacia as idyllic. There are no wars here, and no worries of any harm coming to the natives. In the book it describes the perfect water, “…where the pools would never fail, with plenty of water cool and clear”(p171 lns 96-97). Their environment is also rich in natural resources like wood to build ships, and plenty of stone for buildings, like granite or limestone,“…our assembly built of quarried slabs”(p 176 ln 293). The temperate climate of Phaeacia allows fruit to ripen year round. Fish swim in abundance in the ocean. The island is remote, distant from other civilizations and their interference, “So their godlike king, Nausithous, led the people off in a vast migration, settled them in Scheria, far from the men who toil on this earth”(p 176 lns 7-9). The inhabitants of Phaeacia were described as generous, wise, and wealthy. Since strangers rarely appeared on their shores, the Phaeacians treated their guests with honor and charity. The Phaeacians’ sophisticated boats power Odysseus home, and forestall Poseidon’s desire to kill him, “…only for masts and oars and good trim ships themselves—we glory in our ships, crossing the foamy seas!”(p 177 lns 297-298).
The Life of Ancient Greek Women:
Women in Ancient Greece were treated inferior to men. Aristotle claimed, “by nature the male is superior, the female inferior, therefore the man rules, and the woman is ruled”(221). Women were not allowed to participate in any activities outside the home. They were not considered as citizens and therefore, they weren't allowed to vote. A woman would usually stay in her husband's house. In a wealthier family, women were usually kept in the back of the house, to protect them from non-related men. The wives in the prosperous families were expected to take care of the house, and some of them were allowed to handle finances. When they needed supplies, they would send their slaves to purchase them. When women were not rich enough to own slaves, they had to travel to the store themselves. Some of the lower class women had to work in the fields with her husbands, and all women, rich and poor, were assumed to knit and make clothes. Before women were married, their father controlled them, and when they married, their husband ruled them. All women were expected to marry and have sons, not daughters, get married at age fifteen, and watch the house. In Homeric society, women enjoyed an elevated status compared to their counterparts in ancient Greek city-states.
In Book 6 of the Odyssey, women were treated more fairly than the upper class females in Athens. Both Princess Nausicaa and Queen Arete had more freedom to do as they pleased, and were respected. King Alcinous allowed Princess Nausicaa to drive a cart to the river, eat a picnic lunch, and play ball with her handmaidens unattended by a male. He also enjoyed the company of his wife, Arete, and valued her opinions, unlike Athenian men who did not want their wives to be seen or heard. Nausicaa seemed smart and perceptive when she advised Odysseus to first seek her mother’s approval before asking Alcinous for the aid he needed. The women of the Odyssey played a significant role in society and appeared to be strong women, who would have spoken out against injustice. In our culture, women participate equally with men in politics and business. Laws have been written to protect women’s rights, and there are women in powerful positions to ensure that they are never taken away.
Video Summarization of The Princess and the Stranger
Fickle gods had their way with him;
For Odysseus it was grim.
Poseidon tossed him in the seas,
Until Athena heard his pleas.
From Troy to Ithaca he sailed
Not alone, but with a full fleet.
Against their fate, his men all failed
Left him the last mortal to beat.
A mighty warrior it was said
So his journey home, why so long?
Scheming women lured him to bed
And vengeful gods made things go wrong.
Under a spell of Calypso,
He was held captive seven years.
The gods voted to let him go,
What lay ahead, he had great fears.
His raft, the winds gave a good start,
To be with his wife, not apart.
Pounding surf, the raft did not last,
To survive, he had to swim fast.
Up a river, then he climber out,
Too exhausted to look about.
His eyes closed on a forest bed,
This land he had nothing to dread.
Naked, unkempt, to her he came,
The calm princess with beauty blessed.
"Help Please!" said the man with no name
A war hero, who would have guessed?
The maidens who fled, she called back
They gave him whatever he lack
After a bath, a god they saw
A sculpted body without flaw
To the palace, he followed her,
Wise to how he could charm the queen.
Not as two, the gossip would stir,
Together, they could not be seen.
Odysseus' tale of woe
Convinced the king, no time to waste.
Wondrous ships he readied to go
No farewells, they left in such haste.
For once, Poseidon's wrath too slow
His revenge, the Phaeacians would taste.
Nausicaa in friendship, offered her hand
To a man whose looks gave a scare.
She helped the hero on Ithaca,
By giving a stranger her care.
Theme of Princess and the stranger
The great hero of the Trojan War, Odysseus, begins his journey home to Ithaca, but the wrath of Poseidon makes his suffering on the seas unending. Raging storms thrash his boats, monsters torment him, and seductive women have their way with him. All of his crew die by the time he reaches the island inhabited by Calypso, who puts him under a spell and controls him for seven years. Odysseus’ patron goddess Athena pleads her case before Zeus, and finally the gods convene and order Calypso to free him. Poseidon breaks apart the raft on which he sails, forcing Odysseus to swim for his life to the shores of Phaeacia. Athena now protects him by prompting Princess Nausicaa in a dream to wash her clothes near where Odysseus sleeps. The noise Nausicaa and her handmaidens make playing with a ball awakens Odysseus, and his disheveled look sends all the girls fleeing except the beautiful princess. Odysseus, a stranger to the kingdom, flatters Nausicaa and then asks for assistance. She, being trusting and hospitable, offers him food, clothing, and body oil to rub on himself after his bath. Her handmaidens return, convinced by Nausicaa that Odysseus means them no harm. Nausicaa also invites him to her father’s palace, instructing him beforehand how to approach the queen first to win the king’s support. While Odysseus bathes, Athena makes him more physically appealing and regal looking to impress all who meet him. Since Nausicaa worries about the gossip that might start if villagers see her with a male stranger, Nausicaa gives Odysseus detailed directions, and they enter the palace separately. As Nausicaa expects, her wise father generously grants all of Odysseus’ wishes. King Alcinous readies a ship for him that steers itself and promises Odysseus a fast and safe trip home. The crew delivers him to Ithaca without mishap, but an enraged Poseidon turns their boat into stone on their return to Phaeacia.Homer warns his readers in Book Six not to be quick in judging someone. The physical appearance of someone should not determine whether that person is worthy of attention or not. Also, strangers should be given a chance to earn trust and acceptance. Nausicaa did not know Odysseus and by not running away from him, she befriends one of the greatest heroes. The hospitality she extends to Odysseus immortalizes her.
Nausicaa leading Odysseus to Phaeacia
One Main Character that Odysseus Meets on his Journey
Nausicaa: Nausicaa was the daughter of the Phaeacian King, Alcinous and Queen Arete. Nausicaa positively impacts Odysseus' journey home. Athena weary of Poseidon's interference, chooses the land of the Phaeacians as Odysseus' last stop, "Straight to his house the clear-eyed Pallas went, full of plans for great Odysseus' journey home. She made her way to the gaily painted room where a young girl lay asleep...(169 lns 15-18). The goddess Athena personally selects Princess Nausicaa to secure the neccesary arrangements and sailing vessel for the last leg of Odysseus' journey. After Odysseus emerges from the thickets,, Nausicaa boldly stands her ground while her handmaidens scurry away. Odysseus, who is salt encrusted, and naked approaches Nausicaa and tells her his story. After hearing his story, Nausicaa confronts her handmaidens, "So, quick, my girls, give our newfound friend some food and drink and bathe the man in the river"(p175 lns 229-231). More pure than any of the Greek gods, Nausicaa greets Odysseus with kindness and hospitality. She feels nothing but compassion for the tired and hungry man and although a princess, she serves Odysseus. With good intentions, she invites him to the palace where he will recieve what he needs, "If only the queen will take you to her heart"(p178 ln343). Ten years after the the end of the Trojan War, Nausicaa's desire to relieve a stranger's suffering finally enables a hero to sail home.
Princess Nausicaa Picture
Nausicaa Confronting Odysseus
Structure
In ancient Greek times, Homer was simply known as the Poet. The Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt collected the great writings of the world and of the literary papyri the pharaohs preserved, Homer’s works outnumber all the other authors combined. His Iliad and Odyssey have been referred to as the Greek’s Bible: they enshrined all wisdom and knowledge and settled questions about moral behavior. The Odyssey is an epic poem of 12,109 lines about its epic hero, Odysseus, whose journey home to Ithaca takes him on a ten-year adventure. He dreams of home sweet home, but arrives to face perils that match the war plains of Troy and the stormy seas of Poseidon. Homer wrote the Odyssey in hexameter verse: long and short syllables, and concepts alternate in a symmetric pattern of ABC . . . CBA. Homer varies this ring structure to emphasize his ideas and increase his readers’ memory of the plot.
As a master storyteller, Homer liberally uses figurative language to stimulate strong images. In Book 6, he uses a simile that radiantly describes what Odysseus looked like and felt at the moment he caught sight of Nausicaa: “And out he stalked as a mountain lion exultant in his power strides through wind and rain and his eyes blaze and he charges sheep or oxen or chases wild deer but his hunger drives him on to go for flocks” (172). Odysseus could not mask his hunger; he ravenously looks at Nausicaa as prey and does not meekly approach her. No wonder Nausicaa’s handmaidens all scatter. In a scene where Nausicaa explains the importance of arriving at her father’s palace separately to stop the spread of malicious rumors, Homer uses a metaphor to describe the fisherman of Phaecia: “Some old salt might mock us behind our backs” (177). The image of dried and hardened men, encrusted with crystals from their long stretches of toil in the ocean, forms. These are tough men, insensitive and crude, just waiting for a tale to pass on. Additionally Homer constantly reminds the reader with repetition to weave the parts together throughout the entire poem and keep them focused on his hero. Odysseus, when awakened by the play of Nausicaa, mutters about his voyage, “Man of misery, whose land have I lit on now? What are they here - - - violent, savage, lawless? Or friendly to strangers, god-fearing men? Listen: shouting, echoing round me - - - women, girls - - - or the nymphs who haunt the rugged mountaintops and the river springs and meadows lush with grass” (172)! Through his long narrative poem, Homer reminds his readers what Odysseus has experienced in the past to deepen their understanding of the story and develop more fully his hero’s character. Again in Book 7, Oedipus will retell his tales of woe and his desire to go home, which builds up compassion for him. A story as long as the Odyssey needs events repeated to keep the suspense up of what is going to happen next.
Geography
Scholars currently disagree where Phaeacia or Scheria exists. Some people think that Phaeacia is either Crete, Corfu, or somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. Homer describes the land of Phaeacia as idyllic. There are no wars here, and no worries of any harm coming to the natives. In the book it describes the perfect water, “…where the pools would never fail, with plenty of water cool and clear”(p171 lns 96-97). Their environment is also rich in natural resources like wood to build ships, and plenty of stone for buildings, like granite or limestone,“…our assembly built of quarried slabs”(p 176 ln 293). The temperate climate of Phaeacia allows fruit to ripen year round. Fish swim in abundance in the ocean. The island is remote, distant from other civilizations and their interference, “So their godlike king, Nausithous, led the people off in a vast migration, settled them in Scheria, far from the men who toil on this earth”(p 176 lns 7-9). The inhabitants of Phaeacia were described as generous, wise, and wealthy. Since strangers rarely appeared on their shores, the Phaeacians treated their guests with honor and charity. The Phaeacians’ sophisticated boats power Odysseus home, and forestall Poseidon’s desire to kill him, “…only for masts and oars and good trim ships themselves—we glory in our ships, crossing the foamy seas!”(p 177 lns 297-298).
The Life of Ancient Greek Women:
Women in Ancient Greece were treated inferior to men. Aristotle claimed, “by nature the male is superior, the female inferior, therefore the man rules, and the woman is ruled”(221). Women were not allowed to participate in any activities outside the home. They were not considered as citizens and therefore, they weren't allowed to vote. A woman would usually stay in her husband's house. In a wealthier family, women were usually kept in the back of the house, to protect them from non-related men. The wives in the prosperous families were expected to take care of the house, and some of them were allowed to handle finances. When they needed supplies, they would send their slaves to purchase them. When women were not rich enough to own slaves, they had to travel to the store themselves. Some of the lower class women had to work in the fields with her husbands, and all women, rich and poor, were assumed to knit and make clothes. Before women were married, their father controlled them, and when they married, their husband ruled them. All women were expected to marry and have sons, not daughters, get married at age fifteen, and watch the house. In Homeric society, women enjoyed an elevated status compared to their counterparts in ancient Greek city-states.
In Book 6 of the Odyssey, women were treated more fairly than the upper class females in Athens. Both Princess Nausicaa and Queen Arete had more freedom to do as they pleased, and were respected. King Alcinous allowed Princess Nausicaa to drive a cart to the river, eat a picnic lunch, and play ball with her handmaidens unattended by a male. He also enjoyed the company of his wife, Arete, and valued her opinions, unlike Athenian men who did not want their wives to be seen or heard. Nausicaa seemed smart and perceptive when she advised Odysseus to first seek her mother’s approval before asking Alcinous for the aid he needed. The women of the Odyssey played a significant role in society and appeared to be strong women, who would have spoken out against injustice. In our culture, women participate equally with men in politics and business. Laws have been written to protect women’s rights, and there are women in powerful positions to ensure that they are never taken away.
Video Summarization of The Princess and the Stranger
http://www.awesomestories.com/assets/ulysses-hero-of-homers-odyssey
Poem
Fickle gods had their way with him;
For Odysseus it was grim.
Poseidon tossed him in the seas,
Until Athena heard his pleas.
From Troy to Ithaca he sailed
Not alone, but with a full fleet.
Against their fate, his men all failed
Left him the last mortal to beat.
A mighty warrior it was said
So his journey home, why so long?
Scheming women lured him to bed
And vengeful gods made things go wrong.
Under a spell of Calypso,
He was held captive seven years.
The gods voted to let him go,
What lay ahead, he had great fears.
His raft, the winds gave a good start,
To be with his wife, not apart.
Pounding surf, the raft did not last,
To survive, he had to swim fast.
Up a river, then he climber out,
Too exhausted to look about.
His eyes closed on a forest bed,
This land he had nothing to dread.
Naked, unkempt, to her he came,
The calm princess with beauty blessed.
"Help Please!" said the man with no name
A war hero, who would have guessed?
The maidens who fled, she called back
They gave him whatever he lack
After a bath, a god they saw
A sculpted body without flaw
To the palace, he followed her,
Wise to how he could charm the queen.
Not as two, the gossip would stir,
Together, they could not be seen.
Odysseus' tale of woe
Convinced the king, no time to waste.
Wondrous ships he readied to go
No farewells, they left in such haste.
For once, Poseidon's wrath too slow
His revenge, the Phaeacians would taste.
Nausicaa in friendship, offered her hand
To a man whose looks gave a scare.
She helped the hero on Ithaca,
By giving a stranger her care.
Work Cited List